After the Comet
by roflZuko
Summary: A series of short one-shots following characters after the end of the series. A new one each day, until the release of the live-action movie. Now taking requests.
1. The Deserter

**AN: Alright, so here's how this works. At the time this story is being posted, there's eighteen days left until "The Last Airbender" hits theaters in the U.S. To count down, I'll be doing a different short one-shot every day, featuring a different character from the originals series, and covering what might have happened to them after the end of the series. Leave character requests in the comments. :)**

**To start us off, here's Jeong Jeong.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or any of the characters I didn't invent myself. That's all property of Nickelodeon.**

The hatred boiled inside of him like churning acid. It made him so angry, he could hardly speak, sometimes. It was all he could do, when it hit him at its strongest, to stop himself from lashing out at everything within a five mile radius, burning it all to ashes. No one else really understood the inner self-anger- not even Chey, who had been following him longest of all. Chey thought he was angry at the Fire Nation, for what had happened during the war. He was wrong.

No, all of this hatred, this constantly raging anger… It was self-loathing.

Jeong Jeong continued through the forest mountain trail, his followers behind him, biting it back. There was nothing keeping him in the Earth Kingdom, he knew. He could go back to the Fire Nation any time he wanted. The new Fire Lord had already pardoned him, after all- he was no longer hunted, no longer in any danger. No longer even really worthy of his title, "the Deserter". At any moment, he could go back to the Fire Nation, embrace his new status as a war hero, and probably live comfortably for the rest of his life.

But he refused to go back. He couldn't forget, would never forget, what had happened. As long as the memories plagued his soul, the self-loathing would rage on like an inferno inside of him, and he would not trust himself to be around others. For so long, as a younger, more naïve man, he had believed that power, attained by any means necessary, was the only way to achieve happiness in this life. If he had only known, back then, that without utter discipline and control, too much power would rage out of control and consume everything…

"Master Jeong Jeong?" one of the men called from behind, voice curious. "Where exactly are we going? You haven't told any of us."

Jeong Jeong was silent for a long moment, continuing to walk up the trail, leading towards the top of the mountain. "I am… tired."

"Oh, of course," the follower said, mentally reminding him that, despite how the man acted, they were still dealing with an elderly man. "One of us can carry you, Master. Perhaps we should stop and take a rest?"

Jeong Jeong shook his head. No one understood. "Not of walking. It's just that… I have spent so many years, swimming downstream, hoping to at least once know the shape of the ocean. Not once have I seen it. So now, instead, I am returning to the river's source."

He could feel the people behind him, shifting, looking at each other and shrugging. At a loss. No one understood…

A feeling of strange loneliness ran through him, and only made the inner fire flare up greater than before. He pushed it down with a shake of his head, and allowed himself to retreat deep within his thoughts, where the flames couldn't reach. He had to focus, to maintain control, to remember…

To remember…

…How could he forget? He had forgotten many things from his younger days, but not that- never that. He had been so proud and full of himself when he had been promoted, sent to the small village that had just been conquered to oversee its assimilation into the Fire Nation, Zhao at his side. Everything had been set, and he had been confident, certain that he knew how to run a small army. The only thing he had regretted was that his firebending, compared to everything else, had been so weak. He knew all of the forms and techniques, and sure, his power level had been completely adequate- about what one would expect from any average firebender. But he could not tap into his anger, couldn't dredge up enough hate to bring forth the great streams of intense flame that he longed for. He had wanted to be so much more powerful than he had been, back then, had been so certain that he had been capable of so much more…

And then it had happened. The fighters had been driven from the town, but apparently hadn't left completely. As Jeong Jeong's company had marched into the town, they had launched an ambush, and had killed one of his closest friends, a comrade. He had stood over the silent body, completely still, despite the fighting raging all around him, and he had felt _so angry._

_Water is cool and soothing. Earth is steady and stable. But fire, fire is alive. It breathes. It grows. Without a bender, a rock will not throw itself, but fire will spread and destroy everything in its path if one does not have the will to control it._

He still remembered, the giant walls of flames that had suddenly ripped through everything, mingled with his yells of rage. He hadn't been able to control it, then, hadn't yet developed the severe self-discipline and focus that had come from years of training and self-denial. The heavy fires- stronger than any he had seen before- had burned through everything. The town, the resisting villagers, the bystanding villagers, his own men…

_Fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdended with its care to walk a razor edge thin line between humanity and savagery. Eventually we're torn apart._

It hadn't been bravery, or anything like that, which had caused him to desert the military. It had been cowardice, sheer inability to stand up again and face the destruction he had caused. Not until he had conquered the rage that had sparked up so suddenly within him, pouring itself out through the curse he had been born with, his own firebending.

They thought he was a hero, that he had been motivated by seeing the corruption of the War, or something like that. But they didn't really understand. They never did.

Jeong Jeong's feet slowed to a stop on the dirt trail.

"Master?" Chey's voice.

His hands clenched, barely controlling the inner rage. "Leave me, for a moment," he said through gritted teeth, barely daring to breath. He had to get himself under control. He had thought that he was ready, that after all of this time, he had developed the necessary discipline. But now, coming so close, to this "source of the stream"…

His followers nodded and retreated back the way they had come. Most of them had been with him for quite some time. They understood, his need to be alone, from time to time. And they most definitely knew the consequences if he was pushed too far. Even with years of restraint, he was still so completely, fallibly human…

He waited until they were gone. He stood there, shivering, hating his own hatred, wishing for peace. Peace which would not come. Peace which he did not deserve. Just once, he wanted to be rid of this, to be free…

Somehow, when he opened his eyes, he was staring at it.

He must have been closer than he'd thought. The village was spread out beneath him, not completely the same as when he'd seen it last. No, they had rebuilt, the survivors coming together and building newer structures. Years had passed, since then. There was… there was barely even a scar, now, to show that it had ever been attacked. People- young, old, and in between- mingled around the clusters of buildings, talking, laughing, going about their business. He could hear singing coming from the fields, far away.

Everything was so new and so fresh and so clean…

So peaceful, without any signs of anger at all…

A woman looked up, seeing him on the ridge above. She paused, putting down the fruit she had been buying, something flickering in her eyes. She recognized him. For a few moments, they stared at each other, while he waited for her to look at him with disgust and reproach.

She smiled. She turned away, pointing at him, and speaking animatedly to the people around her. In less than minutes, more were rushing forward, turning to look at him, waving, talking amongst each other. He was too far away to hear, but he could make out some of the words on their lips. Ba Sing Se. White Lotus. Rebelled. Deserter. Hero.

There was no anger here, no hatred. All of that had been forgiven, if not forgotten. In their eyes, he could see only…

Jeong Jeong fell to his knees, watching them. Maybe he would never comprehend the ocean, but the source was so fresh and pure, unpolluted, healing…

He lowered his head, a smile forming on his lips silently, as the inferno within him slowly died.


	2. The Pretty Girl

**AN: Chapter Two! Thanks for the comments so far, guys- nothing but helpful, constructive ones so far. ^_^**

**One word about the suggestions, though. If it's okay, can I just have character names? It gets harder to write if I'm constrained by a pre-made plot, and it's just generally less fun that way. Not that your suggestions don't sound interesting- write them up, and I'll be sure to give them a read.**

**Otherwise, though, thanks for the support, guys. Seventeen days to go! In the meantime, a word from Ty Lee.**

She came down from the backflip only to find herself falling.

"Owch! That was completely not fun," Ty Lee groaned, landing hard on the ground. She sat up, blinking wide gray eyes, while the arm she had landed on throbbed in protest. It wasn't _badly _hurt, but…

The warrior to her left laughed. "You're being too twirly," she called. "This isn't like acrobatics- it's a little more stable and direct. Watch my footing." She crouched down, a fierce look flashing through her eyes. When she flipped, she kicked violently behind her, feet landing solidly in the dart, arms immediately coming up in preparation to strike or defend. "_That's_ how you do a flip, Kyoshi-style!"

Ty Lee wrinkled up her nose. "I don't know, Sang-hee. Usually your aura is such a pretty shade of blue. But when you do that…" She shuddered as she stood. Such an unpleasant color.

Sang-hee sighed. "What do I care what color my aura is, as long as I get stronger?"

And that, Ty Lee realized, was the problem. Everyone on this island was crazy, obsessed with getting stronger, quicker, more dangerous. Ty Lee herself was already growing more like that, full of scratches, scrapes, bruises and callouses. She couldn't remember the last time she hadn't been covered in mud or sweat. The other girls seemed to love it, but she couldn't understand any of that, couldn't comprehend what would make someone so obsessive with power, like some kind of… something like…

Like Azula. Was that it?

She chewed her lip, watching the girls around her going through their drills, relentless, desperate for achievement. Yes, Azula might have fit in here very well. Before Azula, Ty Lee had never been much of a fighter. Even her chi blocking- she had learned that as a hobby, something fun to experiment with. She had never turned it on other people like that before, used it for violence and manipulation.

Azula had manipulated absolutely everything around her, though, taking and turning everything to her advantage. Changing them from their original purposes, to something that suited her better. Was that what she was afraid of? Afraid of becoming? Someone like Azula?

Her aura was getting dingier and dingier with every passing moment. She sighed and opened her fan, looking down at the intricate details etched onto it. It was a ceremonial one- not one of the plainer ones used for training or fighting. Maybe it was more precious, and they didn't want it to break, but she still wished that she could use it more often. Everything about the Kyoshi Warriors that there was to be proud of was on it- all the symbols of what they stood for, and their history. Why _wouldn't_ they want to show something like this off, all the time? Just because it was pretty…

…Were all pretty things so easy to ignore and throw away? Just because maybe they weren't as strong or as practical as other things…

Her shoulders slumped. Maybe coming here had been a mistake. She couldn't be like that, couldn't have that mindset, no matter how hard she tried. If that was the case…

"Ty Lee! Your shoulder!"

"Hah?" She tore her eyes away from the fan, looking towards it. "Oh yeah. I'm sorry- it looks like I tore my uniform again, doing the… the… What was it called again?"

Ae-cha, the girl on her other side, shook her head impatiently. "The White Crane pattern. But that's not important. No one cares about your uniform, Ty Lee!"

She looked away, tearing up. "I'm sorry. I just… I'm not good at…"

"Does it hurt?" The girl reached forward, seizing Ty Lee's wrist, and pushed her sleeve up higher. She hissed softly, looking at the angry red skin beneath the tear, where it had been cut earlier. "We should get this cleaned. That would be one _nasty _infection."

Ty Lee blinked at it. "It's bleeding? I hadn't even noticed…" Maybe she had gotten a little tougher than she thought, these past few weeks.

Sang-Hee came up on her other side, smiling. "Don't cry, Ty Lee. It's okay- we'll get Oyaji to look at it."

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Ae-cha assured her. She laughed, smirking slightly. "And after that, we definitely have to work on the way you hold your fan. No wonder you're getting yourself so cut up, if that's your grip on your weapons." She reached forward, moving Ty Lee's hand, spreading the fan and holding it at an angle. "You use too many fingers when you do it, see? This way is much more efficient. And it also shows off the fan better."

Ty Lee looked down at it, admiring the way the sun glinted off of the symbols. "Hunh. It really does."

Feeling the two girls' hands on her shoulders, she realized that it didn't feel the same way it had with Azula. Sure, they wanted her to get stronger, but that was to help her as much as them. And there was no anger when she stumbled. This was different, this was… what was the word? There was a way to describe this, she knew there was. It was…

"Ty Lee? Man, you're even spacier than usual today."

"Come on," Sang-hee said, laughing and punching her lightly on the arm, making sure to miss the injury. "Let's get you to Oyaji. Maybe we should have him look at your head while he's at it, huh?"

…They actually cared about her. That was it. That was… she couldn't remember the last time she had known people like that. Not her parents, and most definitely not Azula. This was…

She couldn't even begin to think up the words explaining how she felt.

She sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "Umm… No, it's okay. I want to train a little more. My shoulder will be fine." She smiled at them. "Why don't you show me that backflip again, huh? I think I can get it this time."

Ae-chan patted her on the shoulder, stepping away. "That's my tough girl. Now watch carefully this time, okay?"

Her aura pinkened instantly, turning brighter than ever before.


	3. The Rebels

**AN: Okay, so it's a little late tonight (try a lot late), but I have excuses! Those make everything better, right? For one thing, I was covering more characters than usual this time, so it ended up longer. And I got started late, and I got a three-hour interruption in the middle of it all, and **_**please don't judge me, internet people! **_**:P**

**Anyways, it's late, but it's in. Keep those suggestions coming, guys! Sixteen days left, and in the meantime, here are the Lost Boys, minus one Peter Pan.**

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The small village in the forest had never been all that fancy. Even at its peak, it had been an odd collection of structures built from materials they had scavenged or stolen. A ragtag village, to house ragtag soldiers. If not for Jet, it would never have come together at all. Yes… Jet had held everything together, until the very end.

So it made only sense, Sneers guessed, that now it was falling apart, decayed and neglected and being reabsorbed back into the forest it had come from.

"Hraagh!" He grunted loudly, lifting a beam in a small hut, trying to repair the roof that had caved in. Maybe he was only fighting the inevitable, but he was a Freedom Fighter, part of the resistance. How could he not resist now?

He settled it on top of another beam, and took a momentary break to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, looking outside. The weather was warm, sunny, cheerful. Only a few years ago, laughter and the sounds of other orphans working or playing would have been drifting in through the doorway (or any of the other holes he hadn't fixed yet). Now, there was only silence. These trees had been a haven for them, once, back when they were naïve and hopeful and content to follow Jet's lead. Now, there was almost nothing.

Almost. At least he had that almost.

A familiar bird call came through the trees, playing the familiar set of notes that had once been their signal. Sneers cocked his head to the side, and stepped forward, listening. After a moment, he lifted his hand to his mouth and returned the signal. Maybe…

Nope, nothing. Just birds.

.:.

Longshot crouched in the shadows of the rooftop, watching the people milling around on the street below. So many of them had money, and were using it to buy food… His stomach grumbled, and he looked away, trying not to think about it. He would have to steal again, before long.

As he stood stiffly, one foot limped slightly, making him wince every time he put weight on it. Even after all of these months, it still wasn't getting better. He was beginning to accept that maybe he would always limp. He shifted his bow over his shoulder, and continued forward, shaking the pain away.

What did he expect, anyways? It hadn't been easy, escaping from the Dai Li, and he had barely done it with his life. That was more than could be said for Jet, though. Or even her…

His footsteps paused, then changed direction, away from the sounds of the market. He could steal later. For now, he just wanted to get away.

.:.

"Careful," Haru said worriedly, watching from a safe distance. "The last time you nearly caught the shop on fire."

"Hey, I know what I'm doing. I think." Teo adjusted his goggles, fiddling with the mechanisms holding the machine together on the counter in front of him. "Besides, that's what you're here for, isn't it? If this thing explodes, you have to encase it in rock really quickly. Now let's see. If the brown gears go here, then the red ones should go something like this…"

Haru shook his head, turning away. "I still don't see why we can't do this outside…"

"Hey, I got the parts you asked for!"

The Duke shoved the door open, racing through it with metal parts falling from his arms. He slammed them onto the counter, excited. "Look, I even had some money left over!"

Haru winced. "Guys, the door…"

"Something need fixing?" a rough voice called from outside.

The Duke looked over his shoulder, smiling wide. "No, it's alright, Pipsqueak! You can keep doing what you're doing."

Teo paused in-between fiddling with the machinery to nudge Haru in the ribs. "Come on, get into the spirit of things! You know you're having fun too."

Haru smiled tentatively. "Yes, but… If we break something-"

"You know something?" The Duke said, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "You don't act very tough for an earthbender."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Haru flushed in confusion while three laughing voices filled the air around him.

Sneers finally allowed himself to collapse into a sitting position as the sun set. He had been working all day, mostly alone, for the fifth straight day in a row. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up, but…

_You're nothing but a nuisance!_

He winced, hearing the words again. It was strange, if he said any other word or phrase over and over again, for long enough, it would slowly lose its meaning. But that phrase…

He had been hearing it all of his life. Somehow, it never had any less of an impact.

Movement. Movement was what he needed- even tired, he didn't like to just sit around and think too long. Especially in a depressing place like this. Let's see… food. He was hungry. He should eat.

_Worthless, no good to anybody!_

He hadn't been like the others, even in the beginning. Almost everyone in the camp had been orphans, kids who had lost their homes and families to the Fire Nation, mostly. A few had simply gotten lost, or had run away, or had been orphaned by something like natural disasters. But in any case, their parents hadn't been around. The Freedom Fighters had been their family.

Not him, though. He knew where his parents were. It was just that they hadn't wanted him.

His hands scraped furiously at the spark rocks, trying to get the tinder to catch, and burn away the thoughts with action.

_Everything you do only ends up in disaster! What good have you ever done for other people?_

Of course, after he had met up with the Freedom Fighters, everything had changed. As scattered as they all were, they were all united by loyalty to Jet, and hatred for the Fire Nation. As weak as they were individually, they were unstoppable as a group, again led by Jet and his genius. Sure, the town hadn't been happy with their exploits, which had often caused as much harm to them as to any soldiers. But it was just because they couldn't see what had to be done to bring about freedom. Or, at least, that had been what Jet had said. Somehow, no matter what it was, everything had always made sense when Jet was saying it.

People hated them. But they hadn't cared. Not as long as they had each other, the only family they needed. Not as long as they had their leader, and their purpose.

_The world would be better off if you didn't exist._

He grunted, lifting the heavy wooden buckets. Water splashed into the cauldron, already heating up on the flames. A few drops splashed into the fire, hissing and steaming, completely destroyed while the fire raged on.

The pot was too big. He didn't need to make this much food, even to satisfy his own appetite. But he didn't have any smaller pots, so…

_So, since you think only of yourself and cause nothing but suffering for others, we're getting rid of you._

…That had been their words. The town of Gaipan had survived the war, one way or another, and had thrived after it. So it hadn't been long before they had marched into the forest, with their newly-formed army, and confronted what was left of the Freedom Fighters.

It hadn't been much. Once Jet had left, their numbers had begun dwindling immediately. He was the nail that held them all together, and without it, they collapsed, without a purpose. Their family had drifted off in groups of two or three, in one direction or another. Hunh. Some family.

Like Sneers would know.

But then Gaipan had made it worse. There had been ten or twelve of them, that had held on. They gave up stealing, and took to hunting and foraging, depending on each other to survive. Life grew harder, especially as winter drew near, but they had endured through it all. Rugged, resisting, undefeatable. They had been freedom fighters of a different kind, serious ones, no longer naïve. Determined to survive on their own, apart from the world that had tossed them aside.

Until the soldiers arrived. They said they were there on an act of mercy. That orphans shouldn't be left alone. Oh, they were being only kind, when they hunted the remaining Freedom Fighters down, and dragged them away, sure! They were only giving them places to stay, food to eat, work to do. More like forced labor!

Jet had seen them as warriors, independent. The others never saw them as anything other than orphans and burdens. They should be so lucky, to be captured by the benevolent, condescending adults who obviously knew so much better. The ones that hadn't cared at all about them before, but had taken an interest the moment they needed laborers they didn't have to pay wages to. He shook his head in anger.

Only Sneers had escaped. He had circled back through the woods, hours later, to find their village in flames. It had taken all of his strength and tireless effort to salvage anything, anything at all.

…Even all of that hadn't been enough to save the Freedom Fighters, or anything of what had once made him feel at all happy. There was nothing left of that.

He sipped his soup quietly, deciding that maybe it was better if he didn't think.

.:.

Longshot sighed, staring down at the white building below. Women, all of them beautiful, milled around the small courtyard, sweeping, folding clothes, eating, sitting in quiet groups. They were eerily silent, even for the archer who almost never spoke. Their stares were vacant, their faces empty and incapable of smiling, their movements stiff and mechanical.

This was what had become of the Joo Dees, where they had been sent to recover. And they were getting better, little by little. But there was no way of telling if they would ever recover completely, or ever resemble anything like the women they had once been.

…He had lost her, in the tunnels beneath Ba Sing Se. They had been overwhelmed by the Dai Li, by their sheer force and strength. He had run out of arrows, her knives had broken, and Jet had long since stopped breathing. They had been forced to pick him up and run for it. But… The wall had come up out of nowhere, yanked from the ground by one of the Dai Li agents. It had thrown him off of his feet, and he had landed hard on one leg, so hard that it had been impossible to move for a few minutes. Somewhere in the middle of it, he had lost Jet. And she had been right behind him, right before the wall had…

He shifted the weapons on his back, pulling the hat low over his eyes and slowly turning away. He had spent so many hours watching that house from the rooftops, waiting to see if she would come out of it, her eyes hollow, her memories and personality gone. This was tearing him up inside. It had to be the last time, that he came here. If he was ever going to move on, he needed turn his back on it, and not turn back again.

Something hit him in the shoulder.

His hand whipped out on reflex, catching it. He looked down at it, confused. An apple?

"You look like you're starving. You didn't forget how to swipe food, did you?"

He looked up in surprise, unable to believe what he was looking at. What…? He had thought-!

Smellerbee smirked, hands on her hips. "Come on, admit it now. You didn't even hear me sneaking up behind you, did you?"

Her eyes widened as she was suddenly tackled in a fierce hug, the apple dropping forgotten to the roof at her feet.

_Smellerbee!_ He pulled back, looking at her in happy disbelief. She was so real, firm and warm in his arms, and without even a scratch on her! How? How could she have escaped from there, with the Dai Li on every side? It didn't make sense, yet she was standing in front of him…

She smiled softly, seeing the look in his eyes. "…I know what you mean. I feel the same way."

This time, the hug was mutual, the two comrades standing in silent, happy reunion on the rooftop, oblivious to anything else around them.

.:.

Teo yawned. It was getting late- already, it was long past dark. And it was so difficult to see by the light of only a couple of candles…

A mug was placed in front of him, the steam coming out of it smelling wonderful. "You look tired," Haru said, smiling as he sat down across from him.

Teo smiled sleepily. "I am. But I'm almost done- I'm sure of it."

"You should be. You've been working on that thing for hours." Haru played with a pebble he had picked up from the yard outside absently, twisting it into odd shapes. "…The others have already gone to bed."

Teo took a sip from the mug, looking around the shop. In the back, Haru's parents had been asleep for hours- he could hear Tyro's snores coming muffled through the walls. And then, on small pallets on the other side of the room, huddled next to the sacks of grain they sold in the shop…

Teo laughed quietly. "You've been working them hard. I've never seen them fall asleep so quickly."

Haru glanced at the two orphans, curled up in the corner. "I offered to let them stay for free. Our shop is doing really well, since the War ended. We could have afforded it. But they wanted to work."

"It's like the Duke said, that time in the Western Air Temple," Teo said, shrugging as he adjusted a few more cogs. "He got tired of living by stealing from other people. All he wanted was to try out honest living for a change, maybe find a family at some point. I'm sure Pipsqueak feels the same way."

"Then they're in the right place," Haru said, smiling gently. He frowned a second later. "That thing isn't about to explode, is it?"

"Huh? No, that was just a spark. Watch this!" Teo finished twisting the last screw into place, took a breath, then pulled a lever.

The lanterns he had been setting up around the shop all day suddenly flared to life all at once, casting a bright, even glow over the whole building. Haru jumped, then blinked in startled surprise, looking around. "What… How did you do this? They all just turned on at once! By _themselves!"_

"Like it?" Teo grinned, lopsided. "I knew it would work. I'll rig it up around your training area outside, tomorrow. You always said you wanted it like that, right? So you could work during the day, but still have time to train, even after dark?" He tapped the lever. "This should be easier than lighting hundreds of lanterns every night and then blowing them out again."

"You did all this… so I could train?" Haru looked around the shop once more, then turned back to Teo, the reality of it finally sinking it. "Teo, you're the best! As well as a genius!"

Teo simply nodded. "I know."

.:.

Sneers lowered his bowl, hearing a twig snap. "I know you're out there," he called. He kept his face and posture calm and unconcerned, taking another sip of the soup, while his hand sneaked down to the weapon he had begun keeping at his side. "Why don't you come on out?"

So they had come back for him as well. They wouldn't find it so easy. He tensed, waiting.

But the girl who stepped out from the trees didn't look at all dangerous. She watched him hesitantly for a moment, pulling her ragged clothes around herself for more warmth. "Um, hello."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hello."

She looked down shyly. "There's a… rumor. About a freedom fighter who still lives in the woods. They say that… if you're hungry… or if you need a place to stay… he'll help you out."

"What?" He frowned. "Who told you a ridiculous story like that?"

"A boy, working at this shop I stopped by when I was begging earlier today. He said to say that Toepick had sent me." She glanced up at him hesitantly. "I'm not really sure what's up with the name, but…"

"Toepick sent you?" Sneers frowned, considering that. He had known the boy- one of the last survivors that had held on until the end. "Um… How did he look? Were they taking care of him?"

"What? Oh. Yeah, he looked well-fed. A little tired, maybe." She watched him curiously. "Um… Is it true?"

"Huh? Oh, the rumor…" Sneers rubbed the back of his neck. Toepick had said that? "Um… sure. I've got some soup left over, if you want it. And, um… It's not much, but there are some huts I've finished repairing."

She smiled brightly, and waved behind her. Sneers watched as nearly a dozen smaller children came out of the trees, gathering behind her. "Um… I'm not sure if I have enough soup for…"

"Thanks," she said, looking at him as she came forward, leading them. The way she was looking at him… almost like he was some kind of hero or something. He had… never been looked at that way before. "They told me you were kind."

Kind? He had never thought of himself like that, to be honest. Strong, maybe. Defiant, surly, capable of defending himself, definitely. But not… like that.

The girl seated herself on a rock across from him, helping herself to the soup. "Sorry, we're here for the night, because our parents have gone to the next town over to beg some of our relatives for help. We've been done on our luck recently, but it won't be this way forever. We'll figure something out." She smiled, a beautiful smile. "When that happens, I'll repay this, I promise. Anyone who's kind enough to take in travelers like this should get some help back, too."

He stared at her, not sure what to say, while her brothers and sisters began digging into the food hungrily. For a long time, he simply watched them eat. Kind… Was he kind?

He wasn't… He wasn't sure.

.:.

"This is where I buried him, when I got out of there."

They stood on a riverbank, on the very outskirts of Ba Sing Se. The country air was so quiet and peaceful… It was hard to believe that this place had been ravaged by war only so recently, its walls torn asunder.

Smellerbee shivered quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's… unmarked. I didn't want them to find it and ruin it. Not after working so hard to get out of there." Her hand covered a heavy scar on her arm. It seemed neither of them had escaped this war without scars, of all kinds.

Longshot nodded in silent agreement, wrapping an arm around her waist. It was so strange… Jet had spent his life angry at the Fire Nation, giving everything to fight them. But in the end, he hadn't been killed by the Fire Nation, but by the Earth Kingdom itself.

"I know," Smellerbee whispered. "It's so unfair… We fought for them, all that time. Or for the Earth Kingdom, anyways. There was no way to tell the Dai Li were so corrupt…"

He looked down into her eyes, such a fierce brown. He had to agree. But it wasn't just the Dai Li's fault, he reasoned. After all, it had been the entire Earth Kingdom that had allowed them to become so corrupt, to gain so much power. The leaders themselves were at fault. And now, with the Earth King missing, the generals taking power were still just as corrupt… It was frustrating.

She shifted, the way she always did when she was unhappy (which was fairly often- the War had been frustrating to even the most patient of them, and Smellerbee wasn't known for her patience). "It's not like there's anything we can do about it, though, is there." A statement, not a question. "The way a country is run gets decided by rich and powerful people. That's not us."

He stiffened, causing her to look up at him. He looked into her eyes, saying nothing.

She frowned. "Well, yes, that _is_ what Jet would have said, but… you can't be serious."

Silence.

"You _are_ serious. You're crazy!"

He smiled.

After a moment, she smiled back. "You're crazy. But… Maybe I'm crazy too. If Jet could do it, why can't we, anyways?" She looked down, clenching her fists. "They need to pay, for what they've done. And if this is how corrupt their government is, then they need someone else calling the shots, someone to _stop_ them from becoming so corrupt! Someone like…"

His hands covered hers. Gently, he tilted her face up to meet his, expressing everything with his eyes. No words needed to be said.

They leaned forward. A revolution would be born with their kiss.

.:.

"This hut is probably the best one to sleep in," Sneers said, nodding his head at the oak tree to his left. "It's got the fewest leaks, so if it rains…"

"Thanks, Sneers," the girl said, smiling brilliantly. "You have no idea how grateful I am for this."

"Uh, sure," he said, looking away, his face flushing slightly. He reached for the cord dangling from the branches, pulling down the rope ladder to get up into the tree.

She smiled, reaching for it when he held it out for her. "I mean what I said. It should only be tonight. And as soon as we're back on our feet again, I'll try to help you, however you can. This is… a really good thing you've got going here."

"Thing?" He glanced at her. "What thing?"

"You know," she said quizzically. "Helping people who are down on their luck. It's so great, what you're doing. There are so many people in Gaipan who lost their homes to the flood… Unless," she looked worried, "Am I wrong? I was going to tell a few other families about this, but if you can't afford to take them in for a couple of nights…"

He stared at her, going over what she had just said. He… did this regularly? He hadn't ever considered, doing something like that. He looked around the trees, at the huts he had been repairing, all this time. He hadn't even known why he was repairing them- he just… had. It had been out of some sort of anger at the nearby towns, who had allowed people like him to be pushed aside so easily, but then had condemned them the moment they tried to survive on their own. People like him. People…like…

He looked at the girl, still watching him, waiting for an answer. If things had been different… Would he really have been so different from her?

_You're nothing but a nuisance!_

…The person she seemed to be seeing right now was most definitely not a nuisance. He smiled, for the first time that he could remember. "No, you're right. I, um… I do this, all the time. If they need to come here…"

She smiled. "You know something, Sneers? You really are a great person."

_No. Maybe not now. But… someday, I'd like to be._

She shivered, looking up into the dark branches. "It's… kind of dark up there."

"Oh, hold on a second." He bent down, picking up the lantern at his feet. He opened the hatch, holding the wick between his fingers. He closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and breathed.

She started as flames flickered up, filling the lantern. "You're…? But… I thought you were a Freedom Fighter…?"

"I was. I didn't tell anyone about this. Not even our leader." He grunted. "I had my own reasons for fighting the Fire Nation."

She hesitated for a moment, then simply nodded, deciding to accept it. "It doesn't matter who you are, I guess. You're still kinder than a lot of the people I knew from the town." She smiled, then began climbing. "Good night, Sneers. And again, thanks so much. I won't forget this, I promise."

He watched her climb higher, slowly disappearing into the darkness, happiness bubbling beneath his usual sneer. For the first time, even in the dark, the run-down remains of the village didn't look quite so depressing and decrepit. It wasn't much, but he had the beginnings of a purpose in front of him. Something to work _for_, instead of just working aimlessly. Someone to become, maybe. At any rate, even if it was only a start, or a shot in the dark, it was _something!_

Tonight, these were only the ruins of the Freedom Fighter village. But tomorrow…

Who knew what it all could become?


	4. The Royal Couple

**AN: Fifteen days to go! This time, it's Maiko, sent in a request through private message. Keep 'em coming, guys, and I'll see you tomorrow. :)**

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"Alright, close your eyes."

Mai looked at him skeptically. "Why? It's just a fountain. What's it going to do, blind me?"

Zuko sighed impatiently. "You were just complaining the other day that I'm not romantic enough. Well, it's not every day we get to go on vacation. Just play along, this once?"

"Zuko, I hardly think a diplomatic trip to Ba Sing Se qualifies as a vacation."

"Agh, forget it!" He turned, starting to storm away.

Her hand caught his arm. She smiled, the way she did only for him. The way she knew drove him crazy, in a good way. "Still as quick-tempered as ever. You know I'm only playing with you." She gave him a gentle hug, then when he reached to catch her face, stepped away. "You wanted me to close my eyes? Fine."

He watched as her eyes closed, checking to make sure she wasn't peaking. This had been so much easier, last time. Mai made everything difficult. They couldn't even get away together for one night without her constantly changing their plans, making him fight for even the slightest holding of hands or light kisses, or just generally making things much harder than they had to be. She knew she had him under her thumb, and she enjoyed it that way.

It was exactly what he loved about her. He smiled, turning away from her. Life in the palace would have been dull with anyone but her at his side, and when she did finally give in and yield, he felt so happy…

He took a breath, clearing the thoughts from his mind, focusing on the candles all around them, at the wicks that stood straight and unlit, just like he had requested. The fountain in the middle could barely even be seen right now, but he knew when it was fully lit, it was going to be beautiful. Perfectly romantic.

His arms snapped up, moving immediately, shooting fire in all directions. Left, right, higher, lower, in front, left! His eyes flicked from lantern to lantern, never resting on any individual one for more than a few seconds, his aim never faltering.

_Zoosh, zoosh, zoosh!_

_Shing, shing, shing!_

He faltered, surprised, as three knives spun out, just as he had been about to light the last candle. Dozens more followed, spreading in all directions, cutting the wicks at their bases. He watched in dismay as light after light went out, leaving them, once again, in complete darkness. "I thought I told you not to open your eyes?"

"Who said I did?"

Zuko turned back towards her, to see her throw one more knife, severing the last of the lights. Before it went out, he caught a glimpse of her eyelids, still shut as tightly as ever. She was… amazing. "I… I don't understand." It was going to be beautiful. Any other girl would have….

Mai, who had no need for pretty things, smirked as she reached forward, grabbing his arm. "It's simple," she said, her voice losing all of its normal edges. "I want it dark. It's more private that way, you know?"

"Oh." A lopsided smile filled the fire lord's face, as she pulled him into the shadows.


	5. The Princess, The Priestess

**AN: Well, this one was a little harder than usual. For one thing, Azula is one of those characters that people have deep feelings for- they either love her to pieces, or they can't stand her at all. Either way, there's probably going to be some people who hate this fic, because there doesn't seem to be any way to write it to satisfy everyone. Still, I tried, and I hope you like it anyways. ^_^**

**For another thing, this one's a little less canon-based than others. It's pretty ridiculous, how hard it is to think of a plot for Azula that hasn't been done at least a million times by other fanficcers, and been clichéd into nothing. So I went off the wall a little- please bear with the craziness!**

**I wrote it, but the premise mostly goes to the other half of roflZuko, for helping me think through it and get a plot together. Fourteen days until "The Last Airbender" hits the big screens- be sure to support it, everybody! Keep the requests coming, and I'll have a new fic up tomorrow.**

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"How's she doing in there?"

The other guard shrugged, glancing over his shoulder, at the girl huddled in the small cell, behind the glass. "…Same as before. Hasn't moved. Occasionally talks to herself. Occasionally moves to eat, but other than that…"

The first guard shook his head. "I still think they should have taken her firebending away. She's such a pain to handle, like this…"

"Eh, it's not like we're going to be handling her for long," his companion said, leaning against the wall, bored. "They've already gone through all the other treatments. Counseling, medicine, all of that. And nothing. I've seen my share of crazy people, trust me- they never get this nice of treatment. If her brother wasn't fire lord right now, she'd be locked up with all the other loonies." He yawned. "Even as it is, if she's still not responding to any other treatment, still resisting and refusing to get better, then there's only one treatment left." He smirked. "You watch. If she doesn't quiet herself down when they pull out the trepanation, we most definitely ain't going to have to worry about her being a pain anymore."

The girl shivered, in her small world of compressed walls, taking only a moment to glare at them before returning back to staring at the floor, her lips moving silently.

The first guard watched her in pity. "I feel sort of bad for her. She is just a girl, after all."

"A scary girl," the second one said, no longer afraid of the princess now that she was disgraced and locked up. "Did you see some of the things she did, while she was free?"

"Even so. They could have put her somewhere nicer…"

"They did. Nice, tree-filled, grassy asylum. Or at least it was, before she burned it all down." He shook his head dismissively. "Make no mistake, she's earned her stay in there. Maybe she'll cool down and play nice, and they'll treat her better. But I think we both know that's not going to happen, don't we?"

The first guard gave the princess one more sympathetic glance, then turned away. Too depressing too think about, really. "So, did you catch the news about the fireball game? They say Ginju is really starting to pick up the pace against the other interceptors."

.:.

Ozai shivered in his cell, wishing that they'd give him five seconds to clean himself up. What, they'd never heard of showers in this place? This was ridiculous. Just because his lowly brother had been able to survive in a place like this, didn't mean everyone should have to. His brother had always liked being dirty and poor, anyways. For Ozai, this was… Well, irritating to say the least.

"You should ask for another blanket," she said reprovingly. "Really, dear, you should take better care of yourself. If you're not careful, if you don't start eating more and keeping yourself warm, you're going to make yourself sick."

Ozai looked towards the woman watching him in compassion, then looked away. "The food is disgusting. And the blankets…" He watched a black speck jump off of the infested blanket in the corner. "…Not even a consideration."

Her eyes softened. "I hate to see you like this, Ozai. It hurts, to see you suffering like this. I know it's difficult, but Iroh made it in here. Maybe, if you're determined, and you work hard, you can still make something of your life." She smiled hesitantly. "If I could just see you smile, every now and then, I know you would-"

"If you hate to see me like this, then why don't you get me out?" he snarled. "Send one of your helpers, or something? I know you have the ability. Why hold back?"

"My powers are limited- I can't just do whatever I want. And even if I could…" She watched him, then sadly turned away. "…I had hoped… that you would change. I've been watching you for so many years, hoping that you would turn around. But you won't. You're too stubborn, and your heart is too hard."

They remained there in silence for a long moment, both brooding.

Footsteps sounded outside, somewhat lighter than the armed guards that normally patrolled the halls. They paused outside the door, and then the door was opening, letting light into the dark room.

Ozai looked up, a snarl of a different kind entering his face as his eyes fixed on golden ones so similar to his. "I should count myself lucky," he said sarcastically. "The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lonely prison cell." His eyes flickered to hers for the briefest of seconds, questioning.

Sure enough, Zuko didn't seem to see her. He watched his father, huddled dirty and defeated on the floor, sad acceptance in his eyes. "You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life."

Ozai looked away, scoffing quietly. His eyes met Ursa's then dropped. If Zuko couldn't see her, then he most certainly wasn't going to say anything.

Ursa shook her head, then stepped towards the bars, smiling quietly. "Zuko," she whispered. "It's so good to see you again. I was so worried, for a while, but it looks like…"

"Banishing me was the best thing you could have done for my life," Zuko said, his voice mostly level, although a hint of anger still lay beneath the surface. "It put me on the right path. Perhaps your time in here can do the same for you."

Ozai remained unimpressed. As Ursa watched him, she realized he was always going to be that way, in all likelihood. Remote, unreachable, hardened. She had watched him for far too long, hoping that he would change. Now, even in a prison cell with nothing else to lose, he had no desire to do so.

Zuko had sunk to the very bottom, then clawed and fought his way up, changing along the way to become a better person. Ozai never would. She realized sadly that was the difference between them, what had ultimately set Zuko apart on a higher level.

"Why are you really here?" Ozai asked coldly.

"Because you are going to tell me something." Zuko crouched beside the bars, staring into them, his eyes dead serious as he met his father's. "Where is my mother?"

Ozai smirked. _Right here, you fool._

Ursa knelt beside Ozai, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm leaving, love. Probably for the last time. Unless you can give me something? Anything, any sign to show that you're willing to change." She tried to meet his eyes. _Anything to make me stay. Any semblance of the man I once loved…_

Ozai's eyes stayed only on Zuko, glaring at the fire lord defiantly. "I see no reason why I should tell you that. Unless, maybe, we could make some sort of bargain?" He chuckled at the angry way Zuko's eyes narrowed.

Ursa closed her eyes, then slowly withdrew her hand. "Goodbye, my love."

Ozai ignored her as she left him alone in the cell, to match wills with the son he had cast away.

.:.

Azula curled up in the corner, knees pressing against her chest, arms hugging them to her. She hated this place… hated it. She would almost have rather faced execution… or banishment… Anything, really. She deserved so much worse. Instead she had gotten mercy. That in its own way was worse than any punishment she could have received.

"I…failed…" she whispered, horrified.

"No, Azula. You tried your best. Maybe not in the way you should have, but you put all you could into it. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

She sighed, tired, and leaned her head back, resting it against the cold wall. "Oh great. My hallucination is back."

Ursa smiled. "You keep saying that. Why do you think you're seeing things?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, voice flat. "Just ask any of the people out there. I'm crazy, completely off-balance. Enough so that even Zuzu and his little peasant friends were able to beat me." A hard, thin smile found its way onto her lips. "You're probably happy. Not only am I a monster, but I'm a crazy one. You were right all along."

"I never said that," Ursa said, frowning.

"So what?" Azula asked, testing her restraints, flexing against them even though she knew it was useless. "Just what are you trying to say? That I'm not crazy? Hah. It's you against the entire Fire Nation, mother." You against the entire world. The entire world knows I failed.

"I think crazy is a little too strong of a word," Ursa said quietly. "You're exhausted, and overstressed. You're finally realizing that you can't live up to your father's expectations, and it's shaking your whole view of the world. But even more than that…" A hand reached forward, brushing at Azula's hair tenderly, even though it merely passed transparent through the uneven dark locks. "You're lonely, aren't you? You've been lonely, for a long time. Always, you've tried so hard to intimidate those around you, to coerce them into staying with you, to not leave you alone. But it didn't work, and now you're here, and you feel lonely and confused…"

Azula looked away. "You're wrong. This is just a setback… All just a setback. I can still beat this, somehow. If I can just get out of these bonds, then I can beat the guards, steal their keys, make my way out of here, steal a boat, and-"

"Azula," Ursa said softly. "We both know that's not going to happen."

"No. We don't. You're just a figment of my imagination- you don't _know_ anything!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is! What else are you supposed to be, huh? Some sort of ghost?"

"Close."

Azula looked at her incredulously. Something about the look in her mother's eyes… She shivered. "You're… You're not a ghost. …Are you?" Was she being haunted? Not only stuck in this place, but stuck with a ghost? The idea was…

Ursa smiled. "I'm not a ghost. I'm also not a hallucination. You're confused about a lot of things, dear, but not about that."

Azula frowned, disbelieving. "Then just what are you supposed to be, huh? You're not making any sense!"

"No, maybe I'm not. You spent so much time learning about your father's side of the family- the side that made you a princess- that you didn't spend any time learning about mine. The side that was descended from Avatar Roku. You know about that, right?"

"Pft, of course I know. I'm not like Zuzu- Father actually told me things. And what he didn't tell me, I figured out for myself." She pulled on her bonds irately. She had always been stronger, smarter, more worthy than Zuko. So that she was sitting here, while he was being pampered on the throne, was just…

"Then you probably know that my side of the family has always been more spiritual than your father's. At least, for the last century or so, ever since the fire lords fell out of touch with the spirits." She knelt down, coming face to face with her daughter. Her face was a little more lined than Azula had remembered, her hair slightly grayed. "Azula, I'm not sure how much you know, about what happened that night with Azulon. But everyone knows that I was banished afterwards. Significantly fewer people know what happened afterwards.

"I was troubled, by your father. He was hardening, more and more each day. I wanted some way to bring him back. Actually, the entire Fire Nation was that way- so out of touch with the spirits, with their own heritage, anything before Sozin." She smiled. "But there were some scrolls, that Grandma Ta Min had left me. Including a map to a Fire Temple, one in ruins, that everyone else had forgotten about. It was a long shot, but I was aimless after being banished, and the Fire Temple was out of Fire Nation waters. And the scrolls indicated that there was some sort of treasure within the temple's heart, something that could restore the spiritual awareness our nation had lost. So I travelled for it, hoping I could find something, anything…"

"And what?" Azula scoffed, hardly looking at her. "You died there, and decided to haunt me? I know you didn't like me, mother, but that seems a little extreme."

"I love you, Azula. You know that." Ursa shook her head. "I didn't die there. I just got trapped. There's this room… It's not really in the mortal world, I think. Not the spirit world, either. Some place between… I've been there for the past three years."

"You're not making sense." Azula sighed. "Look, Mother, your stories are all very nice and all. But if you want someone to start sailing out for this temple in the middle of nowhere to rescue you, you're better off talking to Zuko. He's more the benevolent type anyways, and he's also not trapped in this room. You always liked him better anyways, didn't you?"

"I'm not the one that needs help right now," Ursa said gently. "And neither is Zuko. You, though… I'm still hoping that it's not too late for you. You don't have to walk the path that others have set for you. You're young, and strong, and I have every confidence that you have within you the means to become better than what you currently are.

"Azula, the Fire Nation no longer needs the assistance I went to the temple to retrieve. The new fire lord, and the Avatar, will lead them to that, I'm sure of it. You, however. I'm certain that you could benefit from the things the temple could teach you."

Azula's fists clenched, getting irritated. "I don't need your help! I've _never_ needed your help! I've made it on my own, and I don't _need_ you! If this is your way of trying to make me nice and weak, like you were, then you should just leave right now. Because I have no interest in changing!"

Ursa watched her. "Ozai said the same thing. But not in the same way. For one thing, he actually meant it." She brushed her hand against her daughter's face one more time, then stood. "I can't free you from here directly. All I can do is to make coincidences happen. I can make fortune favor you, in other words. Late tonight, a series of coincidences will unfold that will give you the chance to take your own journey, if you're willing to take the opportunity. You can forge your own path, much like Zuko did, and discover your own destiny. Or, you can sit alone in this room, in the dark. Whatever makes you happy." She smiled briefly. "Either way, tonight, it's your choice."

Azula looked down at her fists, refusing to look at the woman, shaking. What she wanted… That was irrelevant! All that mattered was success, was proving that she was the best, beyond all denial! To prove it to as many people as possible!

…Wasn't it?

A shifting of silk robes. She looked up, reaching out a hand. "Mother, wait. What if-"

But the woman was gone.


	6. The Sword Master

**AN: Got another PM request last minute today, so for today, it's Piandao. Any new requests?**

**Something that I forgot to put on yesterday's AN. I looked everywhere (Asian Studies minor ftw), trying to find out how the Chinese treated their mentally ill, back in the day. Granted, I didn't have forever to look, so it most definitely wasn't comprehensive- if someone can find a credible source that proves otherwise, I'll definitely look at it and be willing to apologize. But so far, the short answer seems to be that, when it came to treating mental illness, they just didn't. Mentally ill people were left to their own devices, or locked in prison with criminals if they caused problems. If you were lucky enough to belong to a wealthy family that cared enough, maybe you might get some sort of asylum-like treatment. But otherwise, the only treatment I could find aside from traditional medicine was some early Shang and Xia accounts of trepanation being used. And that, I imagine, was most definitely not pleasant (the way having holes drilled into your skull so that people can poke at your brain never is).**

**So for the Avatar universe, whose cultures all seem based on a lot of Chinese (and with traces of other nations') culture, I can't begin to imagine what Azula's mental health institution was supposed to be like, or how it could possibly end in a happy ending for her... All I can guess is that it was Nickelodeon, being kid-friendly again.**

**Anyways, you're not here for historical accuracy, you're here for the fic. Thirteen days left, and please send in some new requests! In the meantime, here you go.**

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"No thanks, Fat. I'm not in the mood." Piandao rubbed his temples, unable to drown out the noise coming from outside.

His servant frowned, putting the tray down on a nearby table. "Another headache, sir? Perhaps medicinal tea, then. Or I could call for a physician?"

"I don't need a doctor," he replied. "I need for the crowd outside to leave."

Fat glanced out the window, at the people thronging outside the gates to Piandao's private residence. He had closed the gates days before, and as per his master's orders, he was no longer allowing anyone inside. Still, the mass of visitors seemed mostly undeterred, uninterested in leaving, camping in groups and clumps on the grounds outside. It was getting ridiculous…

Piandao stood up, stretching, the calligraphy he'd been trying to concentrate on all morning falling to the side. "I need to give General Iroh a piece of my mind. The White Lotus organization was supposed to be one of secrecy- that's what I was always told. But ever since absolutely everyone saw us at Ba Sing Se…"

He had hated the constant stream of visitors, even before. All he wanted was peace and tranquility. Privacy. _Solitude, _even, was preferable to this. Yet now, it wasn't even just aspiring swordsmen from the Fire Nation he had to deal with, or even the occasional potential student from the Water Tribes. Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes… even groups without affiliation in any of the nations. They were all crowding his doorstep, their sheer number overwhelming, and all the arrogant, entitled, talentless sort he had no interest in taking in.

Of course, none of them were used to hearing the word "no", either. Which meant that absolutely none of them were willing to leave, no matter how many times they were turned down.

He passed by another window, frowning at the people trampling the heretofore orderly pathway to his home, and shook his head. "Hold down the fort," he called. "I'm going to sneak out for a little while."

Fat looked up, almost nervous at being left alone with the pushy people. "Out? Out where?"

"Out!"

.:.

The market was completely impossible. He had tried going in a cloak, with the hood pulled up over his face. All to no effect. The moment he had stopped at a calligraphy stand to pick up more ink and select a new fine brush, he had needed to pull it aside for a moment, to count change.

A boy had recognized him, and shouted his name.

It had all gone downhill from there.

.:.

So now he was hiking, travelling up the mountains near his town, trying to put as much distance between himself and his house as possible. Sure, in the crowded city below, it was impossible to get any sort of peacefulness at all. But up here in the mountains…

He smiled, breathing in the fresh air, laced with pine. He had so many fond memories of this place, so many quiet hours spent training in the cool, lonely atmosphere. Already, he was feeling more relaxed, and much happier, his headache beginning to fade. He could spend a lot of time here, either training or drawing, and not return until after dark. After all, if he wasn't going to get anything done at home anyways, then he might as well…

…He had been wrong before, but those noises coming from below didn't sound much like bird song.

He hesitated, drawing near to the ridge that he had taken Sokka to, once before. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, trying to calm down. He knew what it looked like- green everywhere, a rushing waterfall, blue skies, gentle slopes. And it was secluded! Surely he was mistaken, surely-

He stepped to the edge and groaned.

What had once been a haven in the middle of nature was now polluted by even more crowds. Even worse, there were stands set up, selling clothing, food, trinkets… Cheap souvenir items! How had they found this place? Who could have possibly told them where to find his secret training spot? The only person he had ever even taken up here was…

His hands clenched. "Sokka," he muttered darkly, looking below.

…His headache was back.

.:.

One very unsatisfied trip back to his home later, he stood irately pushing a rake around his rock garden, the sounds of chattering voices grating on his nerves more and more with every passing moment. He couldn't focus like this. And without focus, what was a warrior, anyways? If they all wanted to learn so badly, couldn't they grasp the simple concept of silence?

His furrows were driving too deeply into the earth, he realized. The rock garden was supposed to be a simple place, meant to inter a sense of tranquility in the soul. He was only interring anger and irritation, into both his soul and the rock garden itself.

His fingers gripped the rake, while he tried to breathe deeply, holding on to every last ounce of restraint. This was all getting too complicated. What he had loved about the art of the sword in the first place was its simplicity, the sheer minimalist beauty that could come from it, with enough training and discipline. That was a beautiful simplicity that had extended to the brush and the rake. Yet now all of that was being spoiled, marred by the selfishness and overly-loud assertiveness of the people inside, all clamoring to be taught by the celebrity swordsman. They understood nothing about swords! Celebrities would come and go, but a true master-

A true master. A master of swords spoke with his actions, not his words. It was an old proverb, and a simple one. If only it were that easy… He held the rake, wishing that it was a sword instead, and that the people outside were practice dummies instead of dummies of another kind.

Except…

Perhaps that was the solution. With a satisfied smile, he leaned the rake against a wall, walking towards the forge.

.:.

The people huddled outside the walls, practically pressing in on them, shifted impatiently. "When's he going to come out?" one asked, his voice practically whining.

"He's been in that forge for hours now!" Oblivious to the mere five minutes that had passed. "Isn't he going to do something that actually involves swords?"

"Yeah! I want to see him use a sword!"

"You'd think he'd at least show us. We've come all this way- the least he could do is be polite and give us a full demonstration."

"Yeah!"

"Pft, forget a demonstration! I'm still waiting for him to train me! I've got more than enough money! What's the hold-up?"

"Swords! I want to see swords!"

"You idiots. There's a reason he's hiding in there. He's afraid! He knows that half of us could beat him, so of _course_ he's not going to come out!"

"I could take him!"

"If he'd ever actually _leave _the stinking _ forge, _maybe we'd find out, huh?"

The gates open, cutting off the blabber. A hush finally fell over the crowd, as they turned to see Master Piandao himself stepping out of the shadow of the gate. The silence only lasted for a few moments, before the voices picked up even louder than before, hundreds of people all rushing forward at once, issuing challenges, pleas for training, indignant complaints.

Piandao smiled quietly, and lifted a wooden practice sword.

.:.

"Are you sure you didn't go overboard, Master Piandao?" Fat asked, looking out the window worriedly.

"Calm down, Fat," Piandao replied, cheerfully sipping his cup of tea. "I didn't kill any of them. Most of them were scared away, after the first five minutes or so."

"But all of those bruises! And I could swear you broke at least a few bones."

"I did, on some of the more zealous ones. Nothing that won't heal in time, though." He shrugged. "Some people really just don't understand the word 'no'."

Fat rubbed his forehead, getting a headache of his own. "You realize that some of those were sons of noblemen? You could bring soldiers down here all over again!"

"I held them off last time, remember? And they won't come down here. It's sort of an unspoken agreement that if I don't bother them, they won't bother me." He sighed, the sound more contented than upset. "Now maybe the others will learn to give me some space, as well. Maybe in a few years, I'll start accepting students again. For now, though, is it too much to ask for a little tranquility?"

"No," Fat admitted, giving a tentative smile. "I suppose it's not."

Piandao took another sip, then put the cup down, reaching for a calligraphy brush. Celebrities would come and go, but a true master would remain. As long as he had quietness and focus, he was certain he could remain, too. He lost himself in drawing, making the firm, graceful strokes on the paper, completely at peace. He couldn't tell if hours or minutes had passed, when Fat finally returned.

"Master, you have a visitor," he said, giving a respectful bow.

"Another aspiring pupil?"

"No, sir. Young master Sokka, actually."

"Oh really?" he asked. A small grin crept onto his features. "Send him in," he said calmly, hand reaching for a wooden sword.


	7. Cabbages Indeed

**AN: Sorry for the delay on this one. And that it wasn't a request listed on the comments. Those will be returned to next chapter. For now though, please accept my humblest apologies and this latest chapter.**

The door slammed in, shaking on its frame.

The entire teashop went still. A gray-haired tea server stood rigidly, a tray still clutched in his quavering grasp. Customers ceased their hushed chatter and turned in their seats to stare at the three men in red.

Two armed guards flanked the scrawny man in front of them as he led the way, stepping purposely towards the second table on the left. They held their spears unusually close to the top, the fingers lax, as though they weren't expecting any trouble. True enough, no one in the shop seemed ready to give them any. Cold, yellow eyes settled on the man standing.

The server went ashen-faced and lost his grip on the tea tray. Not-so-fine china cracked when it hit the ground, spilling tea across floorboards.

"Excuse me." A smaller man stepped out from the back of the store, taking the situation in with a forced smile. It twitched as he spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. "I'm the proprietor here. Is there anything I can get you gentlemen? A cup of ginseng, perhaps? It's the finest in the house, I assure-"

"We're not here for you," the wiry man barked. Lifting a pale finger, he pointed to the trembling man who was now leaning against table two. "You there, state your previous trade."

Nodding tremulously, the man opened his mouth. "W-well, Sir. You see, I w-w-was a seller of ca-cabbage-cabbages. F-finest ones in all of Ba Sing-"

"I thought so." The stranger stroked his long, whispy beard with a thoughtful look. "There's been rumors around this city that you've seen a boy with an arrow on his head. More than once?"

Something flickered behind green eyes, and though still scared witless, the server frowned tightly. "I remember the vandal. He was bad b-business. Always wrecking-"

"That's all I wanted to know." A simple wave was given over the man's shoulder as he turned away and stepped between his cohorts. "Take him."

"Wait! I-I haven't done anything, I swear!" The server flailed wildly as he was dragged out of the dingy tea shop, one guard holding each arm. "You want the vandal? I'm just a harmless victim! I never-"

"Silence," the guard on the right ordered, swatting the man on the back of the head. "You're needed for…information."

* * *

"You're a _what?_" The ex-cabbage merchant stared at the man across the table from him in disbelief. That disbelief was quickly morphing into anger. "A playwright? You're a playwright?"

The withered man looked at him pleasantly and steeple his fingers on the table. Both ignored the savory aroma of the tray of food that had been set on the smooth surface. "That's what I said." He smirked proudly. "And a darn good one at that. Did you see how well my associates pulled off two soldiers? All thanks to me and my inspiring scripts of course. They live and breathe their parts."

_Slam!_

Gritting his teeth, the man leered at his "captor." His fist clenched on the tabletop. "Acting? You almost gave me a heart attack! Why on earth would you impersonate soldiers to find me? I don't have anything worth hiding! I'm just another one of hundreds trying to keep my head on my shoulders in the occupation."

The playwright, a Mr. Sha Yi, smiled in a patronizing way as he pushed the tray of refreshments to the side. "Ah, but I got you alone, didn't I? Without Hoshi and Ling's brilliant performance-" The fake guards beamed at the praise, standing behind their employer. "I would have had to outright ask you about information on the Avatar. And spirits know how many paupers might've come to me with false details. This way, they were too scared to."

"Why would anyone want to give you that, and why would I give you any information now? What reason can you give me to hand over details about the delinquent now that you've lost me my day and probably my job?"

"The real Fire Nation soldiers won't be happy at all to find out you've mistreated a Fire Nation citizen, and a well-respected one at that." His fingers drummed on the table. "Would they, now?"

The merchant paled but scowled at the man. "The real Fire Nation soldiers won't be happy to hear that actors have been going around impersonating them. What's keeping me from telling them? Nothing. Nothing at a-"

A large, cloth sack was dropped onto the table, contents jingling noisily. Too distracted to complain about being interrupted yet again, the merchant reached forward. The drawstrings on the pouch were slowly undone and fell away to reveal a sack full of gold coins.

Sha Yi smiled at him again, lifting his eyebrows. "Nothing, eh? That could go a long way. Especially in times like these. All I'm asking is for you to describe that 'vandal' and his friends to me. Everything you know. For art's sake, of course. Help me show them in their proper light."

Food was getting harder to come by. And with the attention he'd brought the teashop, the merchant doubted he held a job. And if all of this was reward for details on the hooligans that had wrecked his cart…

He swallowed, and then looked up. A small grin twitched his mouth. "What do you want to know?"

"That's what I thought."

* * *

It was less than a year later that he found himself again sitting across a table from a Fire Nation man. This time, however, the table was an official desk, and the man was a scrupulous noble who couldn't stop fiddling with the garish pendant around his neck.

"So you've come to the capitol to set up shop in-let's see…." Producing a scroll from a pile of requests, he unfurled it with a flick of the wrist. His brow furrowed. "A trade shop. Is that correct?" Peering over the scroll at the man, he narrowed his eyes.

The merchant sitting across from him looked accomplished enough. His clothes were made of fine fabric-rich reds and golds tailored into a functional outfit. Gray hair had been grown out enough for a decent topknot, and the piece it was held in was crafted expertly. Still, the man's green eyes were reason alone to be wary of him.

Earth Kingdom. Peh. So what if the new Fire Lord was promoting peaceful coexistence between the nations? He would be a poor man if he loaned money to every newcomer just to promote the "peace" of nations. He would be a poor man if loaned money like this to _any_ incompetent. The applicant's slight fidget did not go unnoticed.

"It is," came the curt response.

"Alright then." He glanced back to the scroll, eyes settling on the first line. "…Caibo, is it? You claim to have extensive sales experience, but you must realize." The scroll was dropped back to the desk. "The amount you're asking I loan you-out of my personal pocket, by the way-is significant. Convince me. Why should I risk my own finances on your venture? Why, a man qualified to successfully run a shop like this would have to capture every customer's attention and convince him of the rarity of every last item."

A dry laugh escaped him. "He'd have to be able charm the most savvy customers into buying rocks or cabbages!"

Caibo stiffened in his seat, leaning forward. "And what's wrong with cabbages? What?" He thrust a finger at the other man. "I'll have you know that each cabbage is a piece of art in itself! Do you realize the care it takes to nurture a single head of cabbage from a seed? Keeping the cabbage slugs away, fertilizing, tending them until they've reached perfection? You have no idea of the worth of a single, perfect cabbage. Priceless, I tell you!"

The noble blinked.

Then gave a hearty laugh. He stood, moving around the desk to clap the merchant on the shoulder. "You had me going for a while. I almost believed you were serious. And about cabbages-cabbages of all things! Ha, it's been a while since I've seen such passion in a salesman." He shook his head. "All right, you've convinced me."

Caibo's angry retort died in his throat. His finger drooped. "I-I have?"

"You have." Bending over his writing desk, the noble plucked a brush and dipped it into the inkwell. The scroll was signed in a flourish. "Welcome to the capitol. And remember, don't let your investor down." He winked. "I've got high hopes for you. Haha..." Enjoying the first good laugh he'd had in ages, he shook his head. "Cabbages indeed."

* * *

"Good morning, Mr. Caibo."

Strolling into his establishment, Caibo nodded to the girl. "Good morning, Jian. No customers yet this morning, I take it?"

The girl rose from her half-bow, giggling. "Actually…" She wiggled her eyebrows. "Two sales already. Even without your persuasions."

"This early? Fantastic." He really had come a long way from being that poor farmer's son. The capitol city was just waking, and already there had been sales. Even better, he was maybe two weeks away from making the final payment on the nobleman's loan. Then his business would really take off! "And you remembered store policy, yes?"

"Of course, Mr. Caibo," she chirped, patting the show pedestal beside her. "They weren't allowed to touch the merchandise until they'd purchased it. No risk of damage."

He'd come a far way from being a frustrated merchant always getting his precious wares mutilated by the ragtag group of "heroes." Heroes indeed. As long as they stayed far away from him…

Which was part of the reason he was here. Other than farming cabbages, peddling things was all he had known how to do. And where, after the war had ended, would be the best place for a new sales venture? Some place busy and rich enough to provide a steady flow of income of course.

Ba Sing Se might've been his first choice, but the Earth Kingdom in general had only brought him bad luck. Countless carts replaced, every one harder to replace than the last. And those brats. They were everywhere-no matter where he went!

In the strict Fire Nation, especially the capitol, children were reigned in. Disciplined. And now that their leader was encouraging relations with the rest of the world, many rich Fire Nation citizens found themselves intrigued by the curiosities and prizes to be had from them. In fact, most cities in this country were more open to buying from foreigners than the foreigners were to buying from them.

Sure, there was the occasional racist or two who said things. But their remarks never amounted to anything. There were many guards in this city, keeping the peace and watching for rebels.

Caibo smiled ironically. Who would've thought that he'd finally find a restful, peaceful existence in the Fire Nation?

Rowdy children still made him flinch. And he was known throughout the capitol as the most finicky tradesman to grace the city, but it was worth it. He never had been able to get the memory of those horrible children out of his mind. Why, if his current wares were destroyed so carelessly, he wasn't sure what he'd do. But it wouldn't happen. He was so particular with his customers. No one ever damaged his items. No one.

A plump lady decorated in many, frivolous baubles entered the store, looking down her nose at him. She declined offers of help and stated she was merely curious as to the wares. She could look around by herself, thank you kindly.

Heavy perfume wafted through the air. Jian sneezed and earned a disapproving look from the woman.

Caibo watched her. Despite the woman's prideful indifference, she failed at keeping it for long. Her dull, brown eyes sparked as they fell on exotic marvels. Ceremonial Water Tribe hoods and spears, clay vases marked and then baked in earthen ovens, jewelry of all sorts, glinting at her from their cases-all begging to be bought.

He smiled, steering her to the pride of his shop. It was a large bin of crystal orbs imported straight from the Earth Kingdom. Each had been formed by earthbenders with the rare skill of bending crystal. Different hues of all sorts dotted the display, and golden details etched into the glassy surfaces only added to their allure. Useless perhaps, but beautiful. And expensive.

Jian had asked him why he'd bought so many of the green ones once, but he'd merely smiled. The truth was that the green spheres, so precisely arranged in their majestic container, reminded him of his past love.

"Now, Madame," he began, picking up one of the balls and holding it to the light. "As you can see, this ornament is simply the finest in all of-"

The woman's strangled shriek cut him off, just as a stream of fire rushed through the door and devoured his collection of Water Tribe masks. Jian screamed and dove behind the counter. The rich woman fainted.

Caibo watched open-mouthed as a man flew into his shop, sprawling on the floor and knocking over a fragile display of statuettes. The broken remains joined ashes and scraps of fur on the floor.

The scoundrel flipped up and rolled to the side just in time to avoid another shot. Blood smeared across the floor, dripping from a shallow cut across his forehead. The red soaked into the bandages an entire side of the man's face.

A second man, this one sporting guard's armor, leaped in after the rogue. Fire roared from his open palm. As the first man was distracted by swatting the blast away-right into a shelf of handcrafted toys- a knife was flicked out. It glinted in its holders grasp.

The bandaged man's good eye narrowed as his assailant advanced. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he growled. Armor ignored him and lunged, his blade flashing hungrily.

Bandages sidestepped again, easily this time, and grabbed the man's wrist. Yanking him off balance, he kneed him in the back and sent him falling to the ground with a sickening _thud._ Armor's forehead struck Caibo's prized stand so hard, that the entire structure tipped to the side.

"No!" he yelled, reaching for it. "_My ornaments!_"

Too late. It toppled, raining the trinkets down to the floor and shattering every last one until a collage of broken glass was all that remained. He dropped to his knees just as two more guards and another young man darted through the entrance. Surprisingly, however, it was not the bandaged man they went after. While the two guards took over holding the feebly struggling man down, their companion-an Advisor, Caibo realized distantly-helped the victor off his opponent.

Everything…

He looked around at his ruined shop dazedly.

Everything he'd worked for…all gone. Just like that. …Again.

"My lord, are you alright?" the Advisor asked as he looked over the ragged man. "Your head-"

"I'm fine, thanks." The taller man rubbed the back of his neck, taking time to survey the damage he'd helped cause. "More than I can say for this store. But at least we caught the assassin, right?" He chuckled and reached up to touch his bloodied wrappings. They pealed away to reveal an angry scar that ravaged the left side of his face.

The Advisor huffed, flustered. "Caught him? He attacked you while you were trying to _find_ him! We're lucky he wasn't as skilled as he could have been. My lord, the second he recognized you out there-"

Zuko frowned, dropping the bandages. "These didn't work as well as I'd hoped."

Sighing impatiently, the Advisor swept an arm at the man being dragged away. "You think? Not many intelligent assassins in your own city would overlook a 'battle wound' so obvious. Of all the things you could have done, going out yourself to find him was not wise!" He flinched, remembering his place. "With all due respect, my lord."

"You make it sound like those are common."

"For all we know, they are! You have to be more careful!"

Their words bounced off of Caibo as he stared at them, numb with shock.

"We caught him though," Zuko said with a smirk, brushing the charred remains of a mask off his sleeve. Before a retort could be sputtered, he looked around the shop again. His expression darkened. Yeesh. For such a short conflict, this place had taken serious damage.

Spotting the owner, the Fire Lord smiled apologetically and knelt in front of the man. "Don't worry." He placed a hand on the man's shoulder, feeling a pang of guilt as the merchant looked at it in bewilderment. Traumatized. "Ah…I'm sorry. For the damage to your shop."

Caibo stared at him blankly.

"I'll pay for everything, you have my word. Damages and merchandise. Just tell me what you want and-"

"_My store!"_

Zuko was completely unprepared for the rage. Before he could even think about what was happening, the storeowner's hands were latching onto his neck, squeezing. The man had gone insane!

Caibo wasn't aware of what had gone on or of _who_ he was choking. Wasn't aware of anything other than the blinding emotion stealing his sense. Everything-ruined!

"Release him, _now!_"

Clutching one of Caibo's wrists, Zuko stayed still while the Advisor lunged forward and knocked his would-be captor on the back of the head. The dagger hilt struck true. The man slumped forward onto the Fire Lord, losing the rest of his senses.

* * *

"…deserves more than a cool-off period in the cell. He attacked the Fire Lord, for crying out loud!"

"Yeah, but Fire Lord Zuko insisted it was his fault. Seemed real sorry for this one. Even had him checked out by a healer."

"It's foolhardy, if y'ask me." A soft spat came from the direction of the voice.

"Stop that. It's not dignified"

"Neither is this whole mess! The Fire Lord's just asking for more attempts on his life if he treats this guy so lightly."

"Don't be so uptight, Reng. The poor guy went through a shock, apparently. And that helper girl of his was so nice. She vouched for him too."

"Peh. Any girl says anything and you buy into it. Well, I'll tell you what…"

Caibo groaned weakly, fighting a skull-splitting headache. Blurred eyes blinked open to the dim, flickering light of a cell. Even that seemed too bright. Shifting weakly, he licked his lips and tilted his head towards the two guards outside his cell. What…What about his…

"After all this, he'd be lucky if he was allowed to peddle cabbages-let alone those fancy knick knacks."

Cabbages….

Cabbages? …Cabba…

Reng and his partner started at the strange noise, whirling to look at the man rocking back and forth on the floor.

Caibo's mouth was parted in a twitching grin, letting out a faint laugh. "Cabbages…Cabbages…" he chanted, rolling back onto the cold floor. "My cabbages…"

Thrip rubbed the back of his head. "I know we were supposed to contact the Fire Lord when this guy woke up, but…I think he could do with some more cooling off first."

Reng's scratchy laugh echoed in the chamber. "You don't say. Heh, this one's off his rocker for sure."

"I'll say. People like that…" A regretful shake of the head was all Thrip offered. "Kind of makes you wonder how loonies like that hold any kind of position that long. Look at him. Respected shop owner yesterday, and now…"

"Now he's babbling on about cabbages."

Reng scoffed. "Cabbages indeed."

**Caibo is a combination of the symbols used to form "cabbage." Sha Yi literally means "Fool Art." Ah, poor Cabbage Merchant. You can't be a true member of the gang until you've ruined his wares.**


	8. The Monster

**AN: Okay, I missed yesterday. Life got busy, I had writer's block- the excuses go on and on. But tomorrow will be double-fic day to make up for it, so all good.**

**This time, Kataang. A couple of people have brought this up in requests, so I'll say really quick that, while I'm all about non-canon shipping (I crack pair with the best of them), I think I need to keep this set of drabbles strictly canon (more or less). So for Zutara and Toko and everything else, maybe in another set of one-shots some time, but not here.**

**In the meantime, ten days until TLA- be sure to support it! Requests go in the reviews or private messages, and I'll be back tomorrow with double the one-shots.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

A dark, gentle hand dipped into the water, moving around, testing it. It formed into a cup, lifting it to meet curious blue eyes. She sighed and let it run through her hands, back into the small pond below. "It's cold. Colder than it's supposed to be. And I can feel it- it's slowly losing its power. It kind of vibrated when I used it on you. It felt… you know… Alive. Now, it's just water."

She turned back to face the Avatar, worried. "It looks like Yue and La really aren't coming back- there's no sign of fish anywhere in this pond. I don't know what we're going to tell Chief Arnook- this oasis means everything to them."

Aang just grinned, looking at her happily.

Katara frowned. "Aang? Are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, right. No fish, cold water. Got it." He shook himself out of it, making himself focus. Focus was so hard around Katara, though…

She turned back to the water, frowning. "…Maybe you could try?"

He reached for his staff, edging his way forward. "That's the reason we're here, right?" He took a breath, then dipped his hands into the water, eyes closed. "I'll see if I can find the moon and ocean spirits, first. If that doesn't work…"

He didn't finish the thought. They would figure it out if they reached that point. For now, he just had to hope that the spirits were still listening…

Several more deep breaths passed, before the glow began to spread, beginning at the scar on his back and creeping down his hands, until it reached his hands. Slowly but surely, he was getting the hang of this Avatar State thing. He held his breath for a moment, then exhaled gently, spreading his chi through the water. If it had worked in the swamp, maybe he could use it to find them here.

Katara watched, smiling softly, as he worked. He really was incredible. And more and more, she was realizing, just how much she…

The Avatar stiffened for a moment, as she moved to sit beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder and waiting. The briefest of smiles flickered over his face, and he relaxed, returning to the search.

The water burbled strangely, almost as though it were boiling. But if that was the case, why did it suddenly feel so freezingly cold? He hesitated, glow flickering the slightest bit on his hands. _…Yue? La? Is that you?_

Silence.

And then the water exploded.

Katara's eyes widened as a black, slinking form suddenly exploded from the water, wrapping skeletal claws around her, tearing her from Aang's side. The glow in his eyes flickered away, leaving startled gray as he reached for her. "Katara!"

She cast him one quick look of terror before she was pulled under. Aang caught a glimpse of white, and cruel, colorless eyes, before the monster was sinking beneath the surface. He jumped to his feet, staff clenched hard in hands whose knuckles were quickly turning white.

Koh… It couldn't be anyone else. But why…?

A brief image passed through his head, some almost-forgotten memory. Being older, wearing Water Tribe clothing, looking down helplessly as the centipedal spirit dragged another woman he loved away from him forever…

He groaned, clutching his head, then jumped forward. There was no time to hesitate. He splashed into the pond, clawing at the bottom. Koh had come through here. He had to follow! Katara was depending on it, and if she showed even the slightest sign of fear or anger while he had her…

He would lose her forever.

Desperate hands clawed at the murky soil, stirring up dirt to cloud the usually clear water. As they struck down, again and again, a glow flashed through them for a brief second before disappearing.

Aang fell into the water, eyes blank, and lay still. His body sank beneath the surface, disappearing into the middle of the murkiness.

.:.

Koh smirked, circling around and around, slowly drawing the last of his segments out of the small pool beside the warped tree he called his home. The girl was huddled into a ball in the middle of the giant roots, her hair falling over her shoulders, face hidden in her arms. Obviously terrified. Ooh, if he could just see that delicious terror…

"Come on out, little girl," he teased, one claw slipping over her shoulder, under her chin. Trying to raise her beautiful face to meet his. "I just want to talk. You know, to discuss. Face to face." He cackled, the claw growing a little more insistent as she resisted.

She jerked suddenly, arm snapping in a whip-like motion, her face anything but terrified as she hurled her water pouch towards him.

For a moment, he was blinded. But just for a moment. His claws wrenched inwards, shredding the leather bag, sending the water inside flying in every directions. He glared at her through the baboon's face, angry. "Foolish wench! Did you think you were clever? That you could run? You're in _my _territory now!"

She was standing, arms out defensively. But she looked down, confused. "I don't understand. My waterbending…" She moved her hands, watching the water lay unresponsive at her feet.

He watched her in displeasure. Confusion. He could use it, sure, and separate her lovely face from her lovely body right now. But it wasn't a very strong emotion- he would have to work much harder. And confusion didn't taste nearly as good as some other emotions…

Katara looked up uncertainly as a low chuckle came from the giant insect monster's throat, while it began to slink around her in a predatory sort of way. "You're not in the world of mortals anymore, dear child. The rules that you've lived and survived by for so many years, no longer apply. I'm afraid that you're a very, very long way from home!"

He would just have to push a little harder, to drive her to true terror. He had plenty of time- none of her mortal friends could reach her here, and most of the spirits knew better than to attempt to visit him. He had her alone here- there was no help coming for her. And besides, when he saw the Avatar again, he wanted to be able to show him, this girl's last face. One of terror, not mere, mild confusion!

Katara's confusion faded into acceptance, that opportunity passing. "Okay," she said quietly, watching as his face shifted, to a stern, leering one he had taken from a corrupt magistrate, centuries ago. "You want to talk. What do you want to talk about?"

"Mm? Oh, I don't know." He circled again, coiling in closer and tighter, smiling nastily as she tried to keep following him. "What about the plans I have for your friend, the Avatar? So many delightfully painful deaths I have in store for him… You really must help me choose." He waited gleefully for her expression to turn to concern, concern that he could deepen easily to fear and panic, if she cared for him at all.

"That's not her choice- or yours- to make, Koh."

He frowned, snapping away to look at the new voice in anger from a blue ogre's face. Of course, it _would_ be the Avatar to step dripping from that puddle- no matter how many times it was reborn, that dratted spirit would continue to interfere with his plans! "Well," he muttered darkly, "I did say that we would meet again, didn't I?"

"Aang!" Katara called, hope and happiness shining in her eyes.

Koh smirked and pounced. If the Avatar was watching, then it didn't matter what emotion she was wearing when he took her!

He found a staff blocking his way. His eyes narrowed, staring down into the Avatar's face. "You shouldn't be so fast, Avatar. There's no airbending here!"

"Airbending isn't the only part of my training," Aang replied, looking back at him calmly. "I can still fight, even without bending. You're letting us go, Koh!"

"Or what?" the spirit shot back, pulling back and switching faces to a snarling dragon, whiskers and fur unfolding from inside of him. "You'll fight me, in your puny body? I'll snap you like a twig, human!"

"Aang-" Katara began uncertainly.

"Katara, you've got to keep your face clear of emotion," Aang said, voice flat and level, eyes not leaving Koh. "Just keep your eyes closed, and whatever you hear, don't react. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, but… Aang, if I can help-"

"Please, just trust me on this!"

She hesitated, then slowly nodded and drew away, closing her eyes. "…I do, Aang. Please be careful."

Koh cackled, circling like a snake, fangs snapping at Aang. "What will it be, then, Avatar? Will you fight me, one on one?"

Aang looked up at him, taking a breath. "I will fight you, but only on even terms."

"Oh? So you're going to ask for a handicap, then?"

"Only the one you're placing on me." Aang removed a hand from his staff, extending it. The tips of his fingers glowed a brief, greenish tint, and he looked up at Koh meaningfully. "You won't let me show any emotion. Well, from this point on, the same goes for you. If I see any trace of emotion on your face, I'll use my energybending on you, to free all of the faces you've trapped. You won't have any more power, and you'll have to let us go."

"Foolish boy!" Koh roared. "The same goes for you, too, you know! Except your body isn't here- it's just your spirit! Your _Avatar_ spirit! If I take your face here, you won't be able to return to the Mortal World." His voice lowered darkly. "In this life, or any other."

Aang nodded quietly. "I accept those terms."

"You are a fool!" Koh yelled, taking care to keep his face composed as he did so. "You're risking the future of the Avatar spirit- and by extension, the well-being of the entire world! All for one girl!"

Aang circled around Katara, following the monster's circling, fingers still outstretched. "The Avatar's job is to keep the peace between spirits and humans. If I didn't help the people you were feeding on, I wouldn't be a very good Avatar, would I? Besides…" He looked away from Koh, towards Katara, for the briefest of moments.

She stood so still, eyes closed tightly, hands clenched at her side. She was trusting him with everything right now… _I will never turn my back on people who need me. _She had said that, once.

He looked back towards Koh, determined to protect her. _Neither will I, _he vowed silently.

The face shifted, and then Koh was looking at him from behind the white mask, colorless eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You should know, Avatar, I don't trust you. We could be here for a millennia, both keeping our side of the bargain, but it won't matter. The moment you find a way to cheat, I'm quite certain you'll take it."

"This, coming from you?" Aang asked calmly, continuing to circle. "You cheat living things out of their faces all the time, don't you?"

"You mortals don't deserve your faces," Koh spat, reversing direction.

"I don't understand something," Aang said quietly, stepping a little closer to Katara. "Why me? You don't seem to like most people, but the way you feel about me- it's outright hate, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Koh said bitterly, resisting the urge to switch to a more expressive face. "Humans in general are greedy, useless creatures who do no good for anyone but themselves. Even what they do for the rest of the world, it's only because it furthers their own self-interest. But the Avatars- they are a hundred degrees worse. They pretend to stand so high above both humans and spirits, like they're so great and infallible. But in the end, you're all just a group of hypocrites, aren't you? You don't care for anyone but yourself. Hiding that sort of greed, behind promises about linking humans and spirits and helping everyone- it's disgusting!"

"You sound as if I did something to you," Aang replied, locked on Koh's face. Any emotion, any at all… "Or more like, one of my past lives did." He had heard something, once. About Koh, and a past life. From Roku? No, that wasn't it… He caught himself before he could frown, trying to remember.

"You should know," Koh scoffed, before suddenly rushing to within an inch of Aang's face, trying to scare him into emotion. "Why don't you search your past lives, and _find out!"_

Aang's breathing hitched, though not from surprise. Looking into that face, all black and white and menacingly powerful…

He had been trying to think, for the last few minutes, what Koh reminded him of. In that instant, it clicked. Heibai, who in normal form was so innocent and peaceful-looking. But when his forest had been attacked, had been hurt, he had been twisted and deformed in his anger, into something completely different. Looking at Koh now… "You were different, once, weren't you?"

Koh paused, drawing back for a moment, looking at Aang uncertainly.

"I get it. It makes so much sense now." Aang met the creature's eyes, figuring it out more and more. "You live in the spirit world, all alone. But it wasn't always that way, was it? There was something you cared about, once, wasn't there? And…" His eyebrows puckered the slightest bit, in emotionless thought. "Someone… one of my past lives… hurt it, didn't they?"

Koh was still, watching him. Slowly, he drew back, and raised his head, looming high over Aang. But he didn't move to attack- instead, he reached up, stroking the gnarled, hardened wood around him fondly with his legs. "My forest was beautiful. More beautiful than you could have understood. Ancient, too- I had watched over it, even before the time of humans. It used to stretch, wide and peaceful, as far as the eye could see."

Aang looked up, oberserving silently. So this tree that Koh lived in… "An Avatar destroyed your forest? That doesn't sound right."

"No. Not an Avatar." The long, sinewy body shook, barely suppressing the rage within it. "Mankind, in general. They were growing too big, too big to support themselves in the space they were currently living. So what did they do? They moved forward, and decided to steal _my_ land. And they call me a thief…" The great head shook. "They came in, they cut, and burned, and hunted, and completely destroyed. A little, I could have taken. But they weren't interested in taking just a little. They wouldn't be satisfied until everything was in ashes!" The claws stroked the ruined wood softly. "The husk of this tree, the one that used to be the tallest and strongest, in the center of my forest… It's all that's left…"

The monster lowered itself, coming back down to stare at Aang with hardened eyes. "The Avatar of the time knew what was happening. And he could have stopped it! At one point, I sunk so low to go slinking to him, asking for help. But no, he was too busy _surfing,_ and _penguin sledding,_ and chasing after women! He didn't know what it was like, to have something he loved so much, and then watch as it was taken from him! And so…"

Koh's face shifted, to the woman he had shown Aang once before, with the long, flowing hair and the kind look on her face. The kind look soured as the monster slithered forward, reaching one claw out to touch Katara, who shivered under the sensation. "And so, I showed him what it was like. I took the one thing he truly loved, and-"A wicked smile wrenched itself across the woman's face. "Losing my forest had caused me to lose most of my form. I no longer had a face of my own. So I took that woman, and I reached for her face, and-"

Aang stepped in the way, grabbing the claw, lifting it away from Katara grimly. "You can't have her."

"Who are _you_ to tell me what I can and cannot have, you little whelp? You know _nothing_! The Avatars haven't changed at all- you still don't know what it is to suffer, to lose what you truly love!

"That's not true," Aang said, the images of his entire race flashing through his head. It was hard, so hard, not to let the grief of that- a grief he knew would always stay with him- show on his face. But… looking up at Koh's face…

Suddenly, he knew what to do. "I do know what it's like to love, and to lose. But I also know what it's like to fight, to protect those things. And I will fight for them. We're more alike than you think, but there's a difference between us. No matter what I lose, I will not end up like you. I won't retreat and allow myself to become hardened and bitter and twisted and ugly. Because, at the end of the day, I have people I care about, more than my own wants and desires. And you…"

It was a gamble, he knew that. But still… He exhaled, then slowly allowed a single emotion to be shown on his face, staring up at the monster with unrestrained pity. "You'll still be here, with nothing but hollow faces to comfort you. Koh, you're more selfish than I could ever be. And that's why you'll stay alone."

A roar of rage shook Koh, all hold over his own emotions leaving in an instant. The white mask flickered back, twisting and distorting in a mask of pure fury. He shot up, extending high above Aang, claws spreading wide before he rushed down to devour him, face, body, mind, and soul.

Aang exhaled, letting the emotion go, letting his mind clear. He stepped forward, and raised glowing hands to meet the oncoming monster.

.:.

The surface of the pond rippled. A couple of bubbles drifted up, breaking on the surface.

Aang's head was next, smashing through the calm water, gasping for air. Katara followed only seconds later, clinging to him tightly.

They treaded water there for a long moment, looking around to assure themselves that they really were back at the North Pole, hands still clenched as tightly as they had been, ever since Aang had finally let go of Koh. Katara exhaled, shaking, her emotions now playing freely across her face. "That was really, really scary."

"Yeah, it was." Aang pulled her close, hugging her fiercely. "But we got out. We're both safe now."

And they would stay that way. He would make sure of it. Maybe a past Avatar had made mistakes, in the past. Aang knew he had made his own share of mistakes. But that was part of being human- and Avatars were no different from any other human, when it came to that.

One thing wouldn't change, though. He wouldn't neglect his duty, not if it meant creating another Koh. Or allowing someone he loved to be hurt.

He drew back, looking into Katara's eyes lovingly. "I love your face."

She laughed shakily. "I love your face too, Aang."

They stilled as the shallow ground beneath them slowly firmed, the spirit world fading away. Leaving them in water, just water. Koh wouldn't be following them anymore, not through this place.

He lifted her face to meet his.


	9. The Fanboy

**Part one of the double fics! Next one should be up sooner or later- neither of these are very long tonight. Keep foaming, hotmen!**

**Nine days until TLA premieres! Can you believe it? Be sure to support it, and keep leaving any ideas you want to see in the reviews.**

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"They're together, you know."

The boy scrunched his eyebrows together, working harder as he pulled the weeds from the field. Everyone worked together, to sow the fields on Kyoshi Island. It had always been that way- everyone working as a group, to hold out as a group, ever since the days they had stood as a group against Chin the Conqueror.

His companion smiled, leaning back on his hoe. "Won't be much longer until they get married, probably. I wouldn't be surprised if he sweeps her off to the South Pole with him, when that happens."

The boy shook his head. Suki wouldn't do that. She wouldn't just leave the island like that- it and the people on it meant too much to her. He knew she wouldn't. After all…

…He knew her better than anyone.

Or, at least, he had thought he had. Lately, he found himself wondering just how well that Water Tribe boy knew her…

His hands tightened around a weed. Sokka couldn't know her, not like he had! He was just with her because she was pretty, and confident, and capable of things most people could only dream of… And looked so beautiful when she was spinning through the air with her hands outstretched… and the way her hair turned so shiny and clean in the sun…

He choked, stopping the torrent from coming out before it could begin. That was close… No need to start that up again. He yanked on the weed, determined.

His friend smirked, and went back to hacking at a thick, stalky weed that had taken root in the middle of the field. "I'm only mentioning it because I care, you know. It's not too late. If someone were to make a move, if they wanted to have any chance of sweeping her off her feet, or convincing her to stay on Kyoshi…" He gave him a sly smile, lifting the spade higher. "Now would be the time!"

The tool came down, digging deep into the plant's stalk.

The boy paused, the weed laying limp in his hands, staring down at it. Hesitating. He wanted to, but… His past encounters with Suki had gone so horribly, and there was also the other problem, the reflex that he couldn't help…

A hand descended on his shoulder. "Go on," his friend said, smiling mischievously. "I've got this field. Why don't you go into town and have a break? Maybe get some shaved ice. You know, from that stand near the warrior's training lodge?" He laughed quietly. "Come to think of it, you mentioned once that Suki likes cherry flavor, didn't you?"

The boy smiled gratefully. The weed was falling to the ground moments later, the boy running across the field in abandon.

.:.

That smug Water Tribe boy was with her. Again! The boy crouched beside a small hole in the paper screen, watching the uniformed girls inside going through their practice drills in perfect lines. Suki wasn't in the lines- she was on the sidelines, looking beautiful as she shouted words of advice and encouragement. And beside her, with his arm over her shoulder, all rude and possessive…

The boy gritted his teeth. He had to stay calm. If he got too excited, his… _condition_ would flare up again. And then everything would be ruined. He had to find some way. Something, to convince Suki to see Sokka for the jerk he obviously was. Something to make her stay… with him…

"Well, hello there!"

He started at the sound, struggling not to cry out at the cheerful female voice. Someone had found him!

"Are you looking for help? I'm kinda new, but if you need help with something, Ae-cha says I'm supposed to do whatever I can to assist the villagers. Um…"

The boy turned to look at the girl- the flexible one from the Fire Nation, watching him with her head tilted to the side thoughtfully. She was dressed in the Kyoshi uniform, but it had been… altered… It was a hot day, so it was several layers lighter, pulled up to expose her midriff. And, he realized, while maybe not in the unconscious, honest way that Suki was, she was beautiful in her own way. He flushed, stepping away, holding up his hands slightly. No, he didn't need help. He just needed to get out of here, before someone serious found him-

Oh no, it was happening.

"Let me think," Ty Lee said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "What can I do to help y- hello?"

She stared in wide-eyed confusion at the boy who was running from her in terror, flecks of foam covering the ground behind him. "Uh, well… _That's_ never happened before!"

.:.

"Ack, this thing is heavy! What all did you _pack_ in here?"

Suki laughed, lugging another wooden chest behind her. "It's cold in the Water Tribes, right? Sorry, I don't normally pack so heavily, but I figured I should be cautious this time."

"We would have _given _you clothes to wear!" Still, Sokka grinned, hauling the chest closer to the beach. "Hey, Suki? I'm really glad you're coming with me."

She smiled softly. "Me too, Sokka. Things have been so busy since the War ended… It's really great that we're getting to spend some time together."

It was funny, really. To see the looks on some of the people's faces, they seemed to think she was leaving Kyoshi Island for good. She couldn't even take two weeks of vacation without people getting upset…

…Oh well, they would be upset when she got back. In the meantime, "Here, let me help you," she said, lifting the chest on top of Sokka's. She reached for the other handle, trying to stop it from dragging on the ground and making it even heavier than it was.

"Oh, no, it's alright- I've got it!"

"Sokka, in case you haven't noticed, I'm almost as strong as you are." She caught the look on his face and hesitated, though. Normally, she tried to look as strong as possible- it irritated her when people assumed she was weak and soft, just because she was a girl. But Sokka knew she was strong- she had practically pounded it into him, the first time they had met. And maybe all he really wanted to do was be nice and try to do things for her. Not because she was weak, but because he cared about her… "But alright," she said, smiling as she let go of the handle. She walked around, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before continuing forward. "You can do it."

He smiled dizzily, tugging on the chests, then stopped with a frown. "Hey. Looks like someone came to say goodbye."

Suki turned. The boy she had dated once, years before, was standing on the sand, looking at her, determined. "Oh, hey." She smiled awkwardly, waving. "How's it going?"

The boy gritted his teeth. This was it. He had to impress her, to convince her to give him a second chance, before she was gone forever. He could do it. He just had to stay calm, and serious, and above all not let his emotions embarrass him here. Not here, of all places! He took a breath, then stepped forward, opening his mouth to tell her exactly how he felt-

A shadow appeared overhead, strong wind gusts sending sand flying everywhere. He held up an arm to shield his eyes. What was this? Some sort of freak storm? It wasn't even close to monsoon season, and besides, there was no water! It was more like… More like…

"Sorry I'm late, guys!" a familiar voice called. "There were some dense clouds on the way over here, and then Momo fell asleep and got lost, so we had to back and look for him. And after that, there were some sailors who wanted directions to the Earth Kingdom, and then-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, Aang," Sokka said, waving his hand. "Come give me a hand loading these chests up?"

"Wait," Suki said, glancing at him. "I thought you said that you had it."

"Well, I do! But there's no reason why Aang can't help, right?"

"What, because he's a boy? I can lift it better than he can, you know!"

A deep sigh. "_Fine,_ Suki, you can lift if you want to, as long as it gets up on Appa's back. I don't understand why this is such a… Hey. What's up with him?"

They turned and looked at the boy standing on the sand with them. He was shaking, trembling all over. No, he had to contain this! He could contain this! He just had to concentrate on what was important! But… the Avatar, and…. Aghdfouhalfjghfuf!

He couldn't help it. In the end, he couldn't stop being what he was. Just like Sokka couldn't stop being irritating, and Suki couldn't stop being beautiful, and the Avatar couldn't stop being, well, _amazing_…

He watched as all of his plans went up in foam.


End file.
